US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said there is no "time frame" for ending the US-Israeli war against Iran and added that US President Donald Trump will be the one to decide when to stop.
"We wouldn't want to set a definitive time frame," Hegseth told a news conference, adding that "we're very much on track."
"It will be at the president's choosing, ultimately, where we say, 'Hey, we've achieved what we need to'," he added.
Hegseth also addressed a report that the Pentagon has requested more than $200 billion in additional funding from Congress to pay for the conflict, which was launched by the US and Israel three weeks ago.
The money will have to be approved by Congress.
"As far as $200 billion, I think that number could move. Obviously it takes money to kill bad guys," Hegseth said. "We're going back to Congress and folks there to ensure that we're properly funded for what's been done, for what we may have to do in the future," he said.
Reacting to the development, Trump said Thursday that his administration is asking for the money for other reasons beyond Iran. “This is a very volatile world,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
He said the emergency spending would be a “very small price to pay” to ensure the nation’s military stays in top shape.
Notably, Pentagon sent the request to the White House, according to a senior Trump administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private information.
This $200 billion is an extraordinarily high number and comes on top of extra funding the Defense Department already received last year in Trump’s big tax cuts bill.
Congress is bracing for a new spending request but it is not clear the White House has transmitted the request for consideration. It is unclear whether the spending request would have support.
Meanwhile, Top US military officer General Dan Caine, who spoke alongside Hegseth, provided details on weapons being used against Iran and its allied forces in the region.
Caine said A-10 Warthogs -- a type of aircraft designed for providing close air support -- are "hunting and killing fast-attack watercraft" in the key Strait of Hormuz waterway, which Iran effectively closed to maritime traffic following the start of the war.
He also said AH-64 Apaches are being used in Iraq to target Iran-aligned militia groups there, and that some US allies have begun using the attack helicopters to counter one-way drones launched by Tehran's forces.
